Las Palmas
Full nameUnión Deportiva Las Palmas, S.A.D.
Nickname(s)Los Amarillos
La Unión Deportiva
Pío Pío
Founded22 August 1949 (1949-08-22)
GroundEstadio Gran Canaria
Capacity32,400[1]
PresidentMiguel Ángel Ramírez Alonso
ManagerGarcía Pimienta
LeagueLa Liga
2022–23Segunda División, 2nd of 22 (promoted)
WebsiteClub website

Unión Deportiva Las Palmas,[2] commonly referred to as UD Las Palmas or Las Palmas, is a professional football club based in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain. The club competes in La Liga, the top division in the Spanish football league system. Nicknamed Los Amarillos, the club was founded on 22 August 1949 as a result of a merger between five clubs in the Canary region. The club initially played in the Estadio Insular before hosting their home matches at the Estadio de Gran Canaria in 2003.

Las Palmas have been Segunda División champions four times, in 1953–54, 1963–64, 1984–85 and 1999–2000, and have won the Segunda División B twice, in 1992–93 and 1995–96. They have been runners-up in La Liga once, in 1968–69, and runners-up in the Copa del Rey, in 1977–78. Las Palmas is the only side in Spanish football to achieve back-to-back promotions to La Liga in their first two seasons. They had a 19-year run in the competition, ending in 1982–83 and has been promoted to La Liga on four additional occasions since that time, achieving it recently in 2022–23.

Since its foundation, the club has played with yellow and blue as their primary and secondary colours. They have a fierce rivalry with neighbouring island Tenerife, with whom they contest the Canary Islands derby. The two clubs are among the most isolated professional football clubs in Europe since they play their away games on the distant Spanish mainland.

History

Foundation and early years (1949–1954)

Real Club Victoria in 1910.
Marino Fútbol Club shield.

In the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, which ended a decade earlier, football in the Canary Islands was facing numerous challenges. The war disrupted the organisation of championships and created financial difficulties for the local clubs. Despite the construction of the Las Palmas Stadium five years prior, the future of football in Gran Canaria was uncertain. Several prominent clubs, including Marino Fútbol Club, Real Club Victoria, Arenas Club, and Club Deportivo Gran Canaria, were struggling with financial issues. The geographical distance between the Canary Islands and the Spanish mainland made it economically impossible for these clubs to participate in national championships, which was essential for their growth and survival.[3][4]

Manuel Rodríguez Monroy, along with the support of Adolfo Miranda, the president of the Regional Football Federation, and other members of the board of directors, decided to propose a merger as a solution to the challenges facing the clubs.[5][6] Although some clubs initially had reservations, including Marino and Victoria due to their history and social following, Gran Canaria, Atlético, and Arenas quickly embraced the idea. The formal discussions began in a meeting held at the Regional Football Federation's headquarters in Las Palmas on 28 February 1949. During this meeting, the representatives of the clubs decided to form a work team known as the Fusion Report, which would meet regularly to advance the merger proposal.[3][4][5]

After more than a month of deliberations, Miranda and Monroy were tasked with presenting the proposal to the Royal Spanish Football Federation. On 4 April 1949, they submitted a letter requesting that the team resulting from the merger be included in the Second Division.[6] Initially, the request was rejected on the grounds that it could disadvantage other teams and alter promotion regulations. However, Ricardo Cabot, the secretary of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, promised to reconsider the proposal later. After a meeting in Madrid on 6 June 1949, Canary Islands football was accepted into the third division of Spanish football, with the components of Las Palmas starting in the competition the following season.[3][4]

The success of getting into national football led to the integration of Arenas and Gran Canaria under the name Unión Deportiva Las Palmas. This was the first phase of the merger, with the goal of eventually incorporating Atlético, Marino, and Victoria under the same banner. Despite progress, there were still disagreements among the clubs, including refusals to financially support the lease of the Las Palmas Stadium for UD Las Palmas to play its matches during the 1949–1950 season. In response to these challenges, Manuel Rodríguez Monroy organised a Magna Assembly on 22 August 1949, at the Real Club Náutico de Gran Canaria.[7] The assembly aimed to finalise the formation of Unión Deportiva Las Palmas. During this assembly, concerns were resolved and Unión Deportiva Las Palmas was officially established for the upcoming season.[3][4]

Las Palmas finished second in their first season in the Tercera División (1949–50), ranking third in the following year's Segunda División to reach La Liga for the first time ever, and became the first Spanish club to achieve consecutive promotions in its first two years of existence. The first season in the top flight ended, however, in relegation, but the team returned to the category in 1954, going on to enjoy a six-year spell.

Top-flight success

After Las Palmas returned to La Liga at the end of the 1963–64 season, again as champions, the club went on to have their most successful spell in the competition. Managed by Vicente Dauder, they finished third in 1967–68 behind Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, and four club players made the Spain squad which hosted and won the UEFA Euro 1964 tournament; the following season the team fared even better and only lost the league to Real Madrid, and thus qualified for European competition for the first time in its history, appearing in the 1969–70 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and being knocked out in the first round by Germany's Hertha BSC (0–0 home draw, 0–1 away loss).

Chart of UD Las Palmas league performance 1929-2023

Las Palmas player Juan Guedes died suddenly on 9 March 1971 at the age of 28. The next season, French coach Pierre Sinibaldi led the club to the fifth place, with subsequent qualification for the UEFA Cup: after disposing of Torino F.C. and ŠK Slovan Bratislava, the Spaniards bowed out to Dutch club FC Twente; at the end of 1974–75 another team player, Tonono – a defender who played with Guedes – died of a liver infection.

Las Palmas' third appearance in European competition came with the 1977–78 UEFA Cup, where they defeated FK Sloboda Tuzla of Yugoslavia in the first round before falling to the English side Ipswich Town.[8] Under the management of Miguel Muñoz, and with players such as Argentines Miguel Ángel Brindisi, Daniel Carnevali (the first to arrive in 1973), Carlos Morete and Quique Wolff, the club also reached their first final of the Copa del Rey in that year, losing on 19 April to Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium (1–3).[9]

From the 1990s onwards, Las Palmas played mainly in the Segunda División, but also spent six years in Segunda División B – the new third level created in 1977 – and, from 2000 to 2002, competed in the top flight. On 3 October 2001 the side managed a 4–2 home win against Real Madrid, with youth product Rubén Castro scoring two goals for the hosts, but the season ended nonetheless in relegation.[10] On 22 December 2001, Las Palmas played its 1,000th game in La Liga. In the 2009–10 season in Segunda División the club finished 17th, just one point away from being relegated to Segunda División B. On 21 June 2015, Las Palmas was promoted back to La Liga after defeating Real Zaragoza on the away goals rule.

On 27 May 2023, Las Palmas achieved promotion to the first division by sealing a 2nd position in the table, respectively, on the very last match day of the season, after spending five years in the second tier.

Ciudad deportiva

The Ciudad Deportiva UD Las Palmas, also known as Barranco Seco, is the training ground of UD Las Palmas. Occupying a total area of 70,000 m², the complex is located in the area known as Barranco Seco at the southern outskirts of the city of Las Palmas.

History and construction

The current land in Barranco Seco was acquired by UD Las Palmas during the 1960s by the efforts of then club director Manuel Betancor. During the 1970s, there was only a single training pitch used by the reserve and junior teams of the club. In 1982, when the ground was upgraded to be used as a training field by the first team.

In June 2015, the Ciudad Deportiva project was initiated. However, works did not start until 2017. After around 2 years of construction works, the complex was finally opened on July 8, 2019. It was designed by architect Juan Palop-Casado,[11] who assured that the construction of this project was "an attempt that has been made to build with the greatest possible sustainability".[12] The construction was executed by "Construcciones Alex y Nadal, S.L.", involving around 380 workers, 10,000 tons of sand, nearly 300 tons of steel, almost 2,000 cubic meters of concrete and beams of approximately 1,600 meters.[13]

Being only the first phase of the entire sports city project, the club invested 22.5 million euros of its own funds to carry out the construction works of the current facilities.[14] The construction of a multifunctional service building is scheduled in the second phase. The eventual area of the complex will become 70,000 m² after the completion of the second phase.

Facilities

The new complex has modern changing rooms, a meeting hall, a gym with physiotherapy facilities, a dining room, a press room, in addition to two parking spaces designated for 130 vehicles. The Ciudad Deportiva is home to 3 regular size training pitches:[15]

Seasons

Season to season

Carlos Morete, the second top scorer in the history of the club after Germán Dévora.
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1949–50 3 2nd DNP
1950–51 2 3rd DNP
1951–52 1 15th DNP
1952–53 2 4th Third round
1953–54 2 1st Round of 16
1954–55 1 12th Round of 16
1955–56 1 11th Round of 16
1956–57 1 10th Round of 16
1957–58 1 11th Quarter-finals
1958–59 1 14th Round of 32
1959–60 1 16th Round of 32
1960–61 2 5th Round of 16
1961–62 2 4th First round
1962–63 2 3rd Round of 16
1963–64 2 1st First round
1964–65 1 9th Round of 16
1965–66 1 10th Round of 16
1966–67 1 11th Round of 16
1967–68 1 3rd Round of 16
1968–69 1 2nd Round of 16
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1969–70 1 9th Round of 16
1970–71 1 14th Round of 16
1971–72 1 5th Round of 16
1972–73 1 11th Fifth round
1973–74 1 11th Semi-finals
1974–75 1 13th Quarter-finals
1975–76 1 13th Quarter-finals
1976–77 1 4th Round of 16
1977–78 1 7th Runners-up
1978–79 1 6th Fourth round
1979–80 1 12th Third round
1980–81 1 15th First round
1981–82 1 15th Round of 16
1982–83 1 16th Third round
1983–84 2 11th Semi-finals
1984–85 2 1st Fourth round
1985–86 1 13th Fourth round
1986–87 1 14th Fourth round
1987–88 1 20th Round of 16
1988–89 2 11th Round of 32
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1989–90 2 6th First round
1990–91 2 15th Round of 16
1991–92 2 20th Fourth round
1992–93 3 2ª B 1st Fourth round
1993–94 3 2ª B 2nd Third round
1994–95 3 2ª B 3rd Fourth round
1995–96 3 2ª B 1st Second round
1996–97 2 7th Semi-finals
1997–98 2 3rd Third round
1998–99 2 6th Fourth round
1999–2000 2 1st Second round
2000–01 1 11th Round of 32
2001–02 1 18th Round of 32
2002–03 2 5th Round of 64
2003–04 2 20th Round of 64
2004–05 3 2ª B 7th Round of 64
2005–06 3 2ª B 3rd Third round
2006–07 2 18th Third round
2007–08 2 8th Round of 32
2008–09 2 18th Second round
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
2009–10 2 17th Third round
2010–11 2 15th Second round
2011–12 2 9th Second round
2012–13 2 6th Round of 16
2013–14 2 6th Round of 32
2014–15 2 4th Round of 32
2015–16 1 11th Quarter-finals
2016–17 1 14th Round of 16
2017–18 1 19th Round of 16
2018–19 2 12th Second round
2019–20 2 9th Second round
2020–21 2 9th Second round
2021–22 2 4th Second round
2022–23 2 2nd Second round
2023–24 1 Round of 32

Recent seasons

Season Pos. Pld W D L GF GA Pos. Cup Notesint
1999–2000 2D 1 42201210 604172 Promoted
2000–01 1D 11 3813718 426246
2001–02 1D 18 3891316 405040 Relegated
2002–03 2D 5 42161610 534364
2003–04 2D 20 42101418 466844 Relegated
2004–05 2DB 7 3817912 503360
2005–06 2DB 3 3818137 452467 Promoted
2006–07 2D 18 42131217 515951
2007–08 2D 8 42151215 515557
2008–09 2D 18 42101715 465147
2009–10 2D 17 42121515 494951
2010–11 2D 15 42131514 567154
2011–12 2D 9 42161016 585958
2012–13 2D 6 42181212 625566
2013–14 2D 6 4218915 515063
2014–15 2D 4 4222128 734778 Promoted
2015–16 1D 11 3812818 455344
2016–17 1D 14 3810919 537439
2017–18 1D 19 385726 247422 Relegated
2018–19 2D 12 42121812 485054

European cup history

Season Competition Round Country Club Home Away Aggregate
1969–70 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Last 64 West Germany Hertha BSC 0–0 0–1 0–1
1972–73 UEFA Cup Last 64 Italy Torino 4–0 0–2 4–2
Last 32 Czechoslovakia Slovan Bratislava 2–2 1–0 3–2
Last 16 Netherlands Twente 2–1 0–3 2–4
1977–78 UEFA Cup Last 64 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Sloboda Tuzla 5–0 3–4 8–4
Last 32 England Ipswich Town 3–3 0–1 3–4

Current squad

As of 31 August 2023.[17]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Spain ESP Aarón Escandell
2 DF Spain ESP Marvin Park (on loan from Real Madrid)
3 DF Spain ESP Sergi Cardona
4 DF Spain ESP Álex Suárez
5 MF Spain ESP Javi Muñoz
6 DF Spain ESP Eric Curbelo
7 FW Spain ESP Cristian Herrera
8 MF Argentina ARG Máximo Perrone (on loan from Manchester City)
9 FW Spain ESP Sandro Ramírez
10 MF Spain ESP Alberto Moleiro
11 FW Spain ESP Benito Ramírez
12 MF France FRA Enzo Loiodice (captain)
13 GK Spain ESP Álvaro Valles
14 DF Spain ESP Álvaro Lemos
15 DF Spain ESP Mika Mármol
No. Pos. Nation Player
16 FW Guinea GUI Sory Kaba
17 FW Morocco MAR Munir El Haddadi
18 MF Netherlands NED Daley Sinkgraven
19 FW Spain ESP Marc Cardona
20 MF Spain ESP Kirian Rodríguez (3rd captain)
22 MF Democratic Republic of the Congo COD Omenuke Mfulu (vice-captain)
23 DF Equatorial Guinea EQG Saúl Coco
24 FW Spain ESP Pejiño
27 FW Spain ESP Pau Ferrer
28 DF Mexico MEX Julián Araujo (on loan from Barcelona)
29 MF Spain ESP Iñaki González
30 GK Argentina ARG Álvaro Killane
31 MF Spain ESP Juanma Herzog
MF Spain ESP Fabio González

Reserve team

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
26 MF Spain ESP Yadam Santana
33 DF Spain ESP Gabriel Palmero
No. Pos. Nation Player
34 FW Ivory Coast CIV Aboubacar Bassinga
35 GK Spain ESP Ale Gorrín

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
DF Spain ESP Ale Palanca (at Ponferradina until 30 June 2024)
DF Spain ESP Enrique Clemente (at Racing Ferrol until 30 June 2024)
No. Pos. Nation Player
FW Spain ESP Ale García (at Antequera until 30 June 2024)
FW Spain ESP Joel del Pino (at Avilés until 30 June 2024)

Current technical staff

Position Staff
Manager Spain García Pimienta
Assistant manager Spain Álex García
Spain Albert Peris
Fitness coach Spain David Gómez
Technical assistant Spain Momo
Goalkeeping coach Spain José Yepes
Delegate Spain Rubén Fontes
Match delegate Spain Norberto Rodríguez
Kit man Spain Alberto Romero
Spain José Ramírez
Kitchen Spain Sergio
Spain Oscar
Doctor Spain Diosdado Bolaños
Chief physiotherapist Spain Juan Naranjo
Rehab fitness coach Spain Andrés Pérez
Physiotherapist Spain Raúl Quintana
Spain Kilian Santiago

Last updated: 21 September 2022
Source: [17]

Honours

Runners-up (1): 1968–69
Winners (4): 1953–54, 1963–64, 1984–85, 1999–2000
Winners (2): 1992–93, 1995–96
Runners-up (1): 1978

Former players

List of coaches

Affiliated teams

Las Palmas has used farm teams since 1954, but its official B-team, Las Palmas Atlético, was founded in 1976.[18] A third side was founded in 2006 and reached the highest division of regional football, the Preferente, before folding in 2010 and being re-created the following season.[19]

The club also had a women's team in the top division between 2009 and 2011. In 2010 Las Palmas founded an indoor football team for the Liga de Fútbol Indoor, staging matches at the Centro Insular de Deportes.[20]

Crest

Las Palmas' badge is a blue shield with yellow scrolls on top with the club's name, city and archipelago. The municipal arms, granted by the city's mayor, feature in the centre of the design. Underneath lie the five crests of the clubs which united in 1949 to create the club: from left to right – Victoria, Arenas, Deportivo, Marino and Atlético; a smaller white scroll above them displays the city motto Segura tiene la palma.

In Spanish football, many clubs possess royal patronage and thus are permitted to use the prefix Real in their name and use an image of the Spanish crown. Las Palmas does not have such patronage, but tops its crest with the Spanish crown due to the patronage held by Real Club Victoria.

The crest is the central emblem of the club flag, a horizontal bicolour with yellow on top and blue underneath. The flag of the island of Gran Canaria uses these colours diagonally.

References

  1. "Gran Canaria Stadium". UD Las Palmas. Archived from the original on 14 October 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  2. Historia – Nombre del club (History – Club name) Archived 18 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine; Las Palmas' official website (in Spanish)
  3. 1 2 3 4 "22 de agosto de 1949, cuando nació el sentimiento amarillo". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Deportes Canarias Ahora. 22 August 2019. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Historia de la UD Las Palmas". UD Las Palmas.net (in Spanish). 7 April 2009. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  5. 1 2 "La UD Las Palmas cumple 64 años de su fundación". UD Las Palmas (in Spanish). 22 August 2013. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Historia". UD Las Palmas (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  7. "The UD Las palmas celebrates 66 anniversary returning back to the First National Division". UD Las Palmas. 22 August 2016. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  8. Historia – De las tragedias del destino a los argentinos (71–83) (Historia – From twists of fate to Argentines (71–83)) Archived 29 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine; Las Palmas' official website (in Spanish)
  9. Spain – Cup 1978 Archived 3 June 2023 at the Wayback Machine; at RSSSF
  10. Liga – El 'niño' que eclipsó a Zidane reta al Madrid (Liga – The 'boy' who eclipsed Zidane challenges Madrid) Archived 22 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine; Yahoo! Deportes, 12 October 2011 (in Spanish)
  11. "Inaugurada la Ciudad Deportiva UD Las Palmas". Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  12. "Inaugurada la Ciudad Deportiva UD Las Palmas". Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  13. "Un complejo deportivo de referencia arquitectónica". Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  14. "UD Las Palmas Realidad Nueva Ciudad Deportiva". Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  15. "Ciudad Deportiva Unión Deportiva Las Palmas" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 July 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  16. "¿Quieres ver cómo es la Ciudad Deportiva de la UD Las Palmas?". Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  17. 1 2 "Plantilla" [Squad] (in Spanish). UD Las Palmas. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  18. El filial: vivero del fútbol canario (The farm team: feeding ground of Canarian football) Archived 14 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine; Historia del Fútbol Canario (in Spanish)
  19. La UD Las Palmas volverá a tener equipo "C" (UD Las Palmas to have a "C" team again) Archived 5 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine; Las Palmas' official website, 20 June 2011 (in Spanish)
  20. La UD Las Palmas crea un equipo de Fútbol Indoor (UD Las Palmas creates Indoor Football team) Archived 6 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine; Las Palmas' official website, 23 September 2010 (in Spanish)
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